SORN check
See straight away whether a vehicle is declared off the road. Enter the registration for its current SORN, tax and MOT status from the DVLA record.
Free · No sign-up · Current DVLA status
What each result means.
A vehicle kept on a public road must be taxed. One that is not being used can be declared off the road instead. The record says which.
SORN declared
The keeper has told the DVLA the vehicle is off the road. It must be kept on private land and cannot be driven on a public road, except to or from a pre-booked MOT or other test.
Taxed
The vehicle is taxed and no SORN is in place. The result shows the date the tax runs to.
Untaxed
The tax has run out and there is no SORN either. A vehicle in that state must not be kept on a public road, and the DVLA automatically fines keepers who leave a vehicle neither taxed nor declared SORN.
No current DVLA record
The DVLA holds no live record for the registration, so there is no status to show. This happens after a vehicle is scrapped or exported, and when a registration has moved to another vehicle.
Buying a vehicle that is on SORN.
Plenty of project cars, winter storage cars and part-exchanges are sold on SORN. What matters is what happens next.
The SORN ends when it is sold
A SORN does not pass to the new keeper. Once the vehicle is yours, you have to tax it before it goes on the road, or make your own SORN if it will stay off it.
Getting it home
You can drive it on the road only to a pre-booked MOT. Otherwise it needs tax, insurance and a valid MOT first, or it has to go on a trailer.
Insurance checks explainedAsk why it was off the road
A long lay-up often lines up with a failed MOT that was never followed by a pass. The MOT history shows what failed and when.
Check the MOT historyWhat a SORN check cannot show.
The result is the current status on the DVLA record. The DVLA does not publish when a SORN was made, how long it has been in place, or whether the vehicle has been on SORN before, so no free check can show SORN history.
SORN status also says nothing about what happened to the car while it was off the road. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, theft records and mileage problems are recorded elsewhere, and a car history check is where they show up.
SORN check FAQs
What does SORN mean?
SORN stands for Statutory Off Road Notification. It is the keeper telling the DVLA that a vehicle is being kept off the road, so it does not need to be taxed.
How do I check if a car is SORN?
Enter the registration above. The check reads the live DVLA record and shows whether the vehicle is on SORN, taxed or untaxed, along with its MOT status.
Can I drive a car that is on SORN?
Only to or from a pre-booked MOT or other testing appointment. At any other time a SORN vehicle must not be driven or kept on a public road.
Does a SORN transfer when you buy a car?
No. The SORN ends when the vehicle is sold, and it cannot be passed to the new keeper. You need to tax the vehicle before using it on the road, or make a new SORN if it will stay off the road.
How long does a SORN last?
A SORN does not need renewing. It stays in place until the vehicle is taxed again, sold, scrapped or exported.
Can I see when a car was declared SORN?
No. The DVLA publishes the current status only, not the date of a SORN or a history of past ones. The MOT history is often the best clue to when a car came off the road.
More vehicle checks
Buying a car that has been off the road?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Tax and SORN status from the DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service. MOT status from the DVSA MOT history service. Carpeep is not affiliated with the DVLA or DVSA.